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Just what the heck is happening at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington?

Two months after firefighter Shannon Stone fell over a railing and landed on concrete, suffering injuries that eventually became fatal, another fan took a dangerous fall while leaving the ballpark on Saturday night.

An unidentified 24-year-old man was knocked unconscious after falling 21 feet down a stairwell leading from the stadium's upper deck to ground level. The game between the Los Angeles Angels and Texas Rangers was not over yet, so the stairwell wasn't crowded with fans. According to police, the man was with the people who accompanied him at the game.

The fan received immediate medical attention and was rushed to a local hospital to receive treatment for his injuries. (No details were released, but witnesses saw blood in the area where the man had fallen.) As of Sunday afternoon, no new information on the fan's medical status had been given.

This is the third accident involving a fan falling at Rangers Ballpark in the last two years. In addition to the Stone incident, firefighter Tyler Morris fell from the stadium's upper deck while attempting to catch a foul ball in July 2010. Morris survived the fall, but suffered fractures to his skull, foot and ankle.

Saturday's accident was obviously different from the other two falls. This wasn't someone reaching over the railing for a foul ball or a baseball tossed his way. So maybe Rangers Ballpark has just been the site of the worst of coincidences.

Is the solution as simple as increasing the height of railing around the stadium? After Stone's fatal fall, the Rangers instituted new safety measures and began the process of raising the rails throughout the ballpark to 42 inches, an increase in some areas of up to one foot. But if the new measures didn't apply to the stairwells outside of the field area, those railings apparently need to be raised, as well.

Whether these incidents are a terrible coincidence or not, three of them in such a short span of time certainly constitutes a trend. And it's one the Rangers would obviously like to — and more importantly, need to — bring to an end.

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Deep Purple Dynasty League - UTLonghorns
Blue Shark League 3 - UTLonghorns

Wonder if the fact it has been so hot during games there have anything to do with the increased accidents

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Fell down a flight of stairs? I would guess he was just drunk off his @ss and missed a step. Probably could have happened at any ballpark.

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University of Minnesota Golden Gophers

Minnesota's Pride On Ice: 1974, 1976, 1979, 2002 & 2003 NCAA National Champions

"The name on the front of the jersey is a hell of a lot more important than the one on the back"
-Herb Brooks

Although I suspect the Rangers will be raising the railings this winter

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Almost have to. Not good for PR to have repeat serious injuries at your ballpark.

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University of Minnesota Golden Gophers

Minnesota's Pride On Ice: 1974, 1976, 1979, 2002 & 2003 NCAA National Champions

"The name on the front of the jersey is a hell of a lot more important than the one on the back"
-Herb Brooks

im sure the heat has something to do with it not to meantion people drink so they aren't in the right state of mind. not much the rangers can do about either of those so they are making the right choice in raising railings but if that doesn't work they are gonna need seatbelts and elevators for everyone in that stadium

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